Food Scientist Bakery

Creamy Strawberry Ice Cream

I warned you that there’d be a lot of strawberry recipes coming your way, right? Okay, good!

Before this, I was pretty sure I just plain sucked at making ice cream. Even if it was good straight from the ice cream machine, by the next day it was always a rock-hard chunk and then it turned straight to freezer burn. Finally I drew on my food prep lab knowledge and added a bunch of fat and sugar. Ta-da! Creamy ice cream that’s as easy to scoop as the store-bought kind. Also, it tastes amazing. So much strawberry flavor! Did you know that ice cream actually needs a lot of sugar to keep the ice crystals small? And the cold temperature tricks your tongue, so it seems less sweet once it’s frozen.

I know, it sounds bad when you say “fat and sugar”, but homemade ice cream still wins by a long shot in terms of health. Fat is good for you anyways. It makes this ice cream taste so much richer and fresher that you don’t eat as much, plus you’re not adding any weird stabilizers (which the internet suggested I do…uh, what’s the point of homemade, then?). Egg yolk is the best natural stabilizer and emulsifier, which helps with binding the fat to the other ingredients and stabilizing the ice cream foam, but I didn’t want to cook a custard and let it cool for hours. I’m nothing if not impatient! Side note: I got this ice cream container at T.J. Maxx and kind of adore it:

It keeps my ice cream sealed up just right, and ensures that Michael doesn’t break all my tupperware when he scoops out the frozen goodies (No big deal. It was only $1. But still, this is better).

You’re going to love this ice cream! I love strawberry ice cream, but it always disappoints me when I buy it at the store because you get about 5 tiny bits of berry in some pinkish cream. This is the exact opposite! There’s strawberry puree, juice, and mashed berries, so every bite is full of them! We couldn’t stop eating it. Seriously, it’s almost gone already. Might have to make another batch today…hmm.

Directions:
For strawberry puree: blend 1 c. strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth. Place in small sauce pan and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has evaporated and puree is reduced by ⅓. Set in freezer to cool.
Meanwhile, mix fresh berries, honey, sugar, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Let sit for 15 minutes, then mash with a fork or pastry cutter until berries chunks are small. Add cooled puree, cream, and vanilla. Stir until combined.
Pour mixture into ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions (let it run a few extra minutes to incorporate more air and get more ‘fluffiness’). Ice cream can be eaten right way, or frozen in an airtight container for 3-4 hours to thicken up. Try not to eat the whole container. Good luck.